UK REACH Transitional Registration Deadline Extension Regulation Officially Published

On 16 July 2026, the UK government officially published the REACH (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026 (Statutory Instrument 2026 No. 849), extending the final deadlines for chemical registration compliance checks and information submission to 2029/2030/2031. The regulation will enter into force on 6 August 2026 and applies to England, Wales, and Scotland. CIRS Group provides the following interpretation based on the revised statutory instrument.

Background

Following Brexit in 2020, the UK (GB—England, Scotland, and Wales) established "UK REACH" based on EU REACH, while Northern Ireland continues to apply EU REACH. The original UK REACH transitional registration deadlines were 2023/2025/2027; in 2023, they were collectively extended by three years (to 2026/2028/2030) due to data cost disputes. The government is designing an "Alternative Transitional Registration Model (ATRm)" to further reduce costs, but the legislation has not yet been completed. With the first-round deadline of October 2026 less than two years away, companies did not have sufficient time to prepare, necessitating another extension. In December 2025, Defra published a summary report on the proposal to "Extend UK REACH Transitional Registration Deadlines," further deferring the final deadlines for UK REACH transitional registration.

Key Amendments

After the revised regulation officially takes effect (6 August 2026), the deadlines for completing the transitional registration procedure are as follows:

Batch	Substance Type	Original Deadline	New Deadline
Batch 1	Substances listed on the EU SVHC list before UK REACH came into force (31 December 2020); CMR substances manufactured or imported at ≥1 tonne per year; Substances very toxic to aquatic life manufactured or imported at ≥100 tonnes per year; All substances manufactured or imported at ≥1,000 tonnes per year.	27 October 2026	27 October 2029
Batch 2	Substances listed on the UK SVHC list before the previous submission deadline (October 2029); All substances manufactured or imported at ≥100 tonnes per year.	27 October 2028	27 October 2030
Batch 3	All substances manufactured or imported at ≥1 tonne per year	27 October 2030	27 October 2031

In addition, the regulation amends Article 41(5) (minimum review proportion requirements), extending the deadlines for the minimum review proportion across all three batches:

Batch	Minimum Review Proportion	Original Deadline	New Deadline
Batch 1	≥20%	27 October 2027	27 October 2030
Batch 2	≥20%	27 October 2030	27 October 2032
Batch 3	≥20%	27 October 2035	27 October 2036

CIRS Insights

This amendment extends the deadlines for chemical registration compliance checks, giving companies more ample time to prepare and submit the required information. Although the overall deadlines have been extended, high-hazard and high-tonnage substances still need to be prioritised. Industries relying on chemical imports and usage—such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing—need to collaborate with their supply chains, communicate upstream and downstream, and ensure that all stages meet UK REACH requirements to reduce the risk of trade disruption caused by incomplete registrations.

Why Choose CIRS

CIRS Group is a leading provider of comprehensive regulatory compliance services and solutions for chemicals, cosmetics, food and food-related products, agrochemicals, and medical devices. Its chemical team consists of experts with extensive knowledge in chemistry, toxicology, environmental science, and related fields. They are well-versed in various international regulations, including but not limited to CSCL, EU REACH, CLP, GHS, TSCA, and K-REACH.

CIRS operates a subsidiary in United Kingdom. By leveraging the expertise of CIRS UK and the international team, CIRS can provide enterprises with various chemical services in UK, including but not limited to:

UK-based OR (Only Representative) services
Grandfathering consultation services
UK REACH notification (DUIN) services
Full UK REACH registration services

If you need any assistance or have any questions, please get in touch with us via service@cirs-group.com.

Further information

Gov.

We have launched a LinkedIn newsletter to keep you up to date on the latest developments across the chemical industry including food and FCMs and personal and home care.